Lance Franklin's decision to join the established Sydney team, rather than the fledgling club that needed his brand power, was well concealed for this reason: That no one could quite believe that the Swans could fit him under their salary cap.

Everyone knew that Buddy liked the idea of living in Sydney, where his rugby and NRL mates reside and where he probably fancied he would could escape the goldfish bowl of Melbourne - a vain hope, given his profile. But the assumption of everyone was that the Swans had consumed much of their salary cap by recruiting Kurt Tippett, in their corresponding coup 12 months ago.

No one had conceived of the notion of a nine-year contract - which is extraordinary in an era when clubs are reluctant to contract any player - even champions - long past their 30th birthday. Yet, the man behind the deal, Sydney chief executive Andrew Ireland, had put together a deal of this nature once before - when he lured Alastair Lynch to Brisbane (then the dismal Bears) on a 10-year contract, which, ultimately, had to be revised because Lynch was being underpaid.

Swans that may make way for Lance Franklin.

Lynch, though, was in his early 20s when he received his very long contract. Franklin will be 27 by the time he runs out in red and white. So, he may be theoretically contracted until he is 36, which is about four or five years past conventional retirement age for a key forward. Andrew Ireland said on AFL 360 on Tuesday evening that Buddy could play until he was 35. That's right. But it's unlikely he can play well at that age.

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Sydney did not swoop on Buddy at the last minute. The Swans don't operate that way. They carefully target a player, establish a strategy and then strike at season's end. This was the Tippett modus operandi and Fairfax Media believes that the Franklin coup was in the breeze for some time, perhaps 12 months ago. But it was inconceivable that the Swans could accommodate him, just as a nine-year, $10 million contract is unfathomable. Yet, that term and ball-park number is confirmed. We will be hearing plenty about the merits of Sydney's contentious cost-of-living allowance (COLA) - as we did following the Tippett deal last year. The Swans have taken enormous risks in getting Buddy on multiple fronts - it will intensify pressure on the COLA, it will erode some of their depth as players are sacrificed and, not least, they will be stuck with him at an age when 99 per cent of players are finished or useless.

The noise around the competition was that Shane Mumford wanted a four-year deal, but that the Swans had not made him an offer. In hindsight, one can see why Sydney held off on the Mummy, why Andrejs Everitt wasn't contracted (and is up for grabs) and why Jesse White's bags are packed, with a ticket to Collingwood. When one considers that Jude Bolton and Marty Mattner have retired, that Adam Goodes (estimated to be on $700,000-$800,000) and Ryan O'Keefe ($500,000-plus) might last only for one more season each, the notion of finding a million dollars in the salary cap for Buddy isn't so fanciful. When you do the maths, it's clear that the Swans can open up well over a million dollars in their salary cap for next year - and that's with Goodes and O'Keefe.

Being Buddy Franklin

That said, the idea of Buddy Swanning himself at Bondi Beach and in the trendy Paddington pubs, rather than promoting the game in the western (football) wasteland, should be an embarrassment to the AFL. The game needed him at Greater Western Sydney, even if the Giants' football department didn't. GWS has struggled on all levels - for profile, seasoned players and, consequently, wins. It is utterly ridiculous that a team that won the 2012 premiership and finished top four this year can snare Buddy, and the bottom team in the same market cannot. In part, that's a tribute to the canny Swans, whose advantage as an established, successful club serves as a warning on the pitfalls of a free-agency system in which players exercise greater freedom of movement. Coveted players will only go to a bottom team for exorbitant sums - ask Melbourne. The Swans, actually, could pay Franklin considerably fewer dollars than the Giants, who would have paid Buddy something like $1.7 million for six years once the AFL's ambassadorial largesse was added.

In a way, the Buddy shock completes what's been a shocking year for headquarters.

60 comments

As Jake says numerous times it is fantastic & outside the box recruiting by the Swans & they should be congratulated. Historically the weakest team in the VFL. The first to be exiled from Melbourne. Now standing strong - like Freo's recruitment of Lyon - they should be lauded.

Commenter

mjr3107

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 9:01AM

sorry but Buddy contracted for 9 years? Whoever organised this 'coup' isn't the sharpest tool in the shed IMO, he is not much more than an average player now......and good luck when he retires in 3-4 years and Sydney go to the AFL cap in hand asking for salary cap concessions......

Commenter

shemp

Location

melb

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 9:31AM

@MJR..."Lauded"?....You must be joking....The AFL SWANS are now The Pariahs of the entire competition...The So-Called "Bloods Culture" is nothing more than an AFL rort and farce at the expense of the other 17 Teams in the Competition! THis "10 Year DEAL" reeks of Cynicism and Hubris at its worst...The AFL & DEMETRIOU have lost all Credibility if this deal goes through!..So much for protecting the integrity of the Competition Demetriou!

Commenter

procrastinator

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 9:42AM

ShempThe afl will bail out sydney for any and all bad mistakes because they are weak and need the swans. A case of moral hazard.

Commenter

MrTB

Location

Melb

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 10:26AM

Time to take this mob and their fickle Sydney fans off the welfare drip, they are a power now, and need no more COLA help. Fans from other teams will walk away from the game in droves if this goes thru. And why do the swans ALWAYS have to have a Marquee full forward, be it Lockett, Hall, tippet and now Buddy ??

Commenter

Piesnchess

Location

Mt Evelyn

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 10:27AM

And they have gaurenteed the contract for Buddy, but I am betting they are hoping for him to retire and therefore negate his contract, so the $10m over 9 years becomes $6.6m over 6 years and then they move one.

Also if the COLA is an AFL paid thing then there is a good chance the Swans advertised the extra 10% to him, but will be under no obligation to pay it if the AFL pulls the deal. More than likely they will reduce it by 1% a year or something, or exclude it from any further new or amended contracts.

The Swans seem to be hoping that they don't have another horror run of injuries, or they must know something about their 25-35 players that the rest of the comp doesn't.

Commenter

MattyHoofaT

Location

Perth

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 10:30AM

A rort? Are you sure you are reading the right paper mate? Your nonsense reads like a typical rant from a herald dumb reader.

Commenter

Davide

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 10:43AM

procrastinator, rubbish, the Swans have operated entirely within the existing system, and its a system designed by the Vics..

The trouble with the whinging Vics is that they aren't statisfied with having the sympathy of the umpires and the AFL anymore, they have to have EVERYTHING their own way just to give them a half decent shot at making it to a grand final these days.

Get yourself a box of tissues and have a good sniffle.

Commenter

SteveH.

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 10:51AM

Has trashed his reputation at Hawthorn and probably taken down the Sydney FC with him.,............ Good riddance Buddy. Hope you have the time of your life.

Commenter

BBJ

Date and time

October 02, 2013, 2:39PM

@Davide...."Rort"- "An incident/s involving Suspect behaviour by officials." Macquarie Dictionary.....Given the length of this "Deal" The perfect description I would have thought ! A case of the Pot calling the Kettle Black Me Thinks....Perhaps you need to re-educate yourself before you speak again

1 Oct
Lance Franklin is set to join Sydney after telling the Swans he will accept their lucrative offer, blowing Greater Western Sydney out of the water in one of the most stunning recruiting coups in the game's history.